Photoshop Elements 4.0 Maximum Performance: Professional Image Editing for Photographers [With DVD]

by Mark Galer

You will learn how to create professional quality digital images with Photoshop Elements 4.0 without the need to upgrade to Photoshop with this unique guide from best-selling author Mark Galer. This complete package of book and DVD walks you through Elements' powerful and less well-known post-production editing techniques showing you how to get maximum results from this low-price program. A series of creative projects, packed with tips and tricks...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0240520122
• ISBN13: 9780240520124
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Focal Press
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.9" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Takes Elements to an advaced level

This text is written for photographers that want to make their images look there very best. Unlike introductory texts, Mr. Galer's book goes into the very soul of Photoshop Elements (PSE) to find hidden features that give pictures a WOW factor. Here are a few examples. In introductory text, the student is introduced to the unsharp mask filter and given some suggested settings. In Galer's text, the student is introduced to some unique masking techniques created with the high pass, and threshold filters to locate edges. He then combines that technique with paint masks and the magic erasure tool to isolate just those areas that will benefit from edge crispness. The results are stunning. Galer also has a technique for making high dynamic range (HDR) photos using some add-on layer styles that are available in the companion DVD. A number of introductory texts concentrate on color correction and marginalize the importance of luminosity and tone. In Galer's text, there are a number of advanced techniques on levels, contrast and preserving shadow that are used to allow photos to look their best. Speaking of the DVD, it not only contains all the images used in the lessons but many additional background photos of sky and sea and other landscapes that the user may access to enhance their own projects. Unlike many introductory books on PSE the photos are of high quality (lots of pixels) and all the lessons on the DVD are also included in the text. The lessons are quite good and Galer's English accent lends credibility and authority to his narrative. What you won't find in the book is any serious mention of the Organizer, quick fix or photo creations (with the exception of a lesson on panoramas). In summary, this is an important book on the advanced features available in PSE that every serious student should own.

Truly Maximum Performance

I have completed several Photoshop course books and found all of them to be very good and useful. So I had a reasonable knowledge base when I discovered this book. I found that in this book, the author has covered the most useful Photoshop examples yet. The text and video projects complement each other perfectly and are seamless. Not only does the author explain every step of the project, but he also does the most important thing: he tells you why he is doing it. This book has propelled my knowledge of Photoshop Elements 4.0 to a very high competent professional level. I cannot express my absolute delight with my new skills.

Photoshop Elements 4.0 Maximum Performance

One of the best books out in the market about using Photoshop Elements 4.0 (PSE4) to edit pictures. Comes with a DVD containing pictures to practice on, and some movies to watch while the author explains a specific technique. There are some techniques included in this book that I've not seen included in any other book. Examples are clear and concise, and with accompanying pictures at each stage. Stress is on using techniques to work on pictures that will not harm the pictures or the pixels themselves. These techniques include learning all about gradients and making some for yourself that increase contrast, or using adjustment layers, and making masks to affect the contrast, learning how to get the most efficient use out of the levels settings, among other things. Take part of a gradient sample in PSE4 and use it to create beams of light coming out of a storm cloud! Great book. This book teaches you how to work on pictures with many different techniques--techniques that do the least harm to the original working photo--techniques that allow you to take care of small subtle details that are usually ignored, but that make your work more believable. Highly recommended.

A Great Book and DVD Combination!

First of all, this book isn't for someone who is new to using Elements 4 because most of the techniques in this book are too advanced. However, for individuals who know the basics and want to advance their knowledge and skill--this is a great book for you. The most impressive feature is that the book comes with a DVD (not CD) that has four hours of movies that show all the techniques illustrated in the book. I have learned more from watching (and rewatching) the videos than I did at a $400 two-day Photoshop Workshop. If you use Photoshop CS2 then consider purchasing Mark Galer's book, "Photoshop CS2: Essential Skills."

The missing book on your bookshelf !!!

Each time a photographer writes a book on Photoshop I'm surprised by the beautiful pictures and the very interesting content and especially by the high degree of professionalism they use to bring some "elements" to the newbies or even the more advanced users! Mark GALER is one of these "gurus! In three sections Optimize,enhance and montage he shows us how to use the Phelements4 on his best. In part 1 OPTIMIZE he leads you in 8 projects from cropping-levels-camera raw-target tones-contrast-hue & saturation-sharpen and printing (page2 till 71)to heaven. Part 2 ENHANCE opens the secrets of depth of field-shafts of light-black & white-toning-character portrait and glamor portrait(page 74 -141) In part three MONTAGE, seven projects let's reach you your outer limits with creative montage-replacing a sky-high dynamic range-creative type-displacement-preserving shadows-panoramas(page144-213). But the greatest bonus is the companion DVD with 4 hours of teaching with all the pictures available in the projects plus free stuff like oceans-sands and a lot of other free pictures. Really this is an awesome book,one of the best I own;well illustrated,clear and easy explanations and great tricks so that for the most photoshooters this version of phelements 4 is quite satisfying and need no upgrade to PhotoshopCS2!!! Tremendous work Mark!Bravo!!!